Improvement in flexible propellers



ROBERT HUNTER.

Improvement in Hexible Propellers. No. 114,944, Patented May16,187l.

xvi-rid Eswzs, Inward-role ROBERT HUNTER, or CINCINNATI, onio.

Letters Patent No. 114,944, dated May 16, 1871' lMPROVEMENT IN FLEXIBLE PROPELLERS..

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making pan.- of the same.

1, ROBERT HUNTER, M. 1 of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented an Improved Propeller for Vessels, of which the following is a specification.

Nature and Objects of the Invention. My invention relates to fish-tail propellers, and con- ,sists in the employment or use of a thin .elastiQ Plate of suitable shape, supported by similar plates or leaves of decreasing length, applied equally to its respective sides to form a tapering flexible blade, which is, consequently, easily reversible, and has the strain distributed equally over its length, besides operating in a superior manner.

Description of the Accompanying Urawing. Figure 1 is an elevation of the stern of a boat,

with my improved propeller applied in illustrative.

manner.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the propeller-blade and shaft as shown in the other figures, illustrating the operation of the blade, which is shown in two posi: tions by full and dotted lines; the direction in which the blade is supposed to be moving being indicated by an' arrow.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

General Description.

A represents the hull of a boat, adapted, by a rear.- vvard keel-extension, a, a vertical socket, 12, over said extension, and a metal bearing-plate, c, at the top of said socket, for the reception of one of my improved propellers.

B represents a vertical shaft, stepped in the support a, extending up through the socket b, and pro vided, above the plate 0, with a pair of clutch-pius, d, and at top with a hand-wheel, e.

0 represents a tapering flexible propeller-blade, composed of a thin plate, f, of steel or other elastic material and of proper shape, and a number of similar plates or leaves, g, of decreasing length, applied equally to the sides of the former, the whole being united and attached to the shaft B by bolts or rivets, It, passing through cheek-plates, i, projecting from the said shaft, between which the thick. end of the blade is clamped.

D represents a clutch-sleeve, applied to the upper end of theshaft B, and constructed with a plurality of sets of clutch-notches, j, and an arm, it, having a series of perforations for the reception of thecouplingpins lot a pitman, E, reciprocated by a steam-engine or other motor.

The plates or leaves of the propeller-blade may be out from sheet-steel, and may be of uniform thickness.

Two or more. plates or leaves may obviously be substituted for each one in the arrangement represented and described without departing from the inveution, so long as the flexibilityand taper of the blade areretaiued. The mode of uniting the plates or leaves of tne blades and attaching the same to the propeller-shaftis variable; also, the'manner of mounting the propeller-shaft.

The blade may further be employed without the shifting-gear described, or with any substitute there for, and the said shifting-gear may be employed with any fish-tail propeller. I

Two or more propeller-blades may be employed and in any eifcctive position. a

Operation,

The blade 0, being oscillated through its shaft B underthe action of said shaft, the resistance of the water, and its own flexibility, is deflected, as repre- 'sented in fig. 3, at the beginning of each stroke;

. The blade, being moved forward in this deflected condition, (see fig. 3,) and so pi'esenting'an oblique surface to the water, acting in'the same manner as the tail of a fish, will impart a powerful impulse to the vessel in any direction desired, according to the position to which the blade is adj ustcd.

At the termination of each impulse of the shaft the end of the blade which receives the greatest deflection will,byits resilience, be thrown over instantaneously to the extremity of its stroke, in readiness for the return motion;

The taper of the blade causes its deflection and the strain incident thereto to be distributed in the most beneficial manner.

By lifting the sleeve D,'and causing dili'erent sets of the clutch-notches of the same to engage With the clutch-pins d on the shaft B, the angle of the blade relative to its operating-arm It may be varied to any desired extent. In this action the hand-wheel e or its equivalent is used, the resistance of the water and the continued motion of theslecve and vesse' assisting. I

The said wheel (or its equivalent) may further be employed for producing continued changes of the. angle of the blade, as in steering up to a landing;

the clutch-sleeve being maintained in an elevated po-'- sition.

The series or perforations in the operating-arm or almost entirely control the boat, both as to the speed and direction-of its movement, without the'aid of the engineer.

Olaf/m.

I claim as my'invention- I The propeller herein described, vconsisting of a number of plates or leaves of different; sizes rigidly attached at their inner ends to a common oscillating shaft, disconnected at; their outer ends, and arranged, as herein specified, so as to support each other with 'a.

yielding pressure. 1

ROBERT HUNTER, M. D. Witnesses:

- R. J. ORBY HUNTER,

DANL. P..DEAN. 

